Jones will benefit the team

Fans favourite Stephen Jones is making the switch back to West Wales and the Scarlets for the region’s 2015-16 season in Guinness PRO12 and European Rugby Champions Cup.

Jones embarked on a new challenge in his playing career with a move to Aviva Premiership side Wasps at the end of the 2011-12 season before hanging up his playing boots and taking on a coaching role, as Backs Coach, under the leadership of Director of Rugby Dai Young at Wasps.

A true Scarlet both on and off the pitch Jones’ represented the Scarlets when the game first went regional in Wales during 2003-4, after seven years with Llanelli RFC, and returned to his home region ahead of the 2006-07 season after a successful period with Clermont Auvergne.

Scarlets new signing Will Taylor, who played alongside Jones at Wasps says he’ll be an asset to Scarlets’ coaching team. Speaking exclusively to the region’s media partner Llanelli Star earlier this week Taylor said; “It’ll be good to have him here. I was lucky enough in my first year with Wasps to play with Steve.

“Boys liked him at Wasps. He’s a really good coach and the boys gelled to him. It’ll benefit the team a lot and the boys will respond well to him.”

Wasps scored 77 tries in season 2014-15, the highest number of tries scored by any team in the Aviva Premiership and Taylor believe that was in part down to Jones’ influence on the backs. He went on to say; “The way Wasps played last year you could see that the backs were scoring tries for fun. That was down to Steve’s work really.

“Steve is a very good coach and he make sure boys know their roles. He’s always available if boys need any additional help after training; he’s also good for the young boys.

“The step from player to coach can be difficult but he handled it really well. The boys really enjoyed having him as a coach and they were pretty gutted he was going. Wasps’ loss is Scarlets’ gain.”